One-Bid Wonders

New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion (Photo by Sam Perkins)

(Boston, MA) – For New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion, this was personal.

One game after becoming the all-time leader in America East wins with the 153rd conference victory of his career – a dramatic 92-86 overtime thriller over visiting UMBC – Herrion watched as his Wildcats reverted back to their losing ways; chucking up three’s, forcing shots and stumbling to a 68-56 road loss to Boston University in a game that was never close.

It was the 134th meeting between the two schools, who date back as founding members of the ECAC North Conference – the predecessor of the present America East – in 1979. It’s been a rivalry akin to that of a hammer and a nail, with the Terriers owning a 96-38 record in head-to-head matchups.

With Boston University leaving the America East for the Patriot League at season’s end, the game marked the end of an era – and a 33 year partnership that survived three different conference incarnates – for the two schools, and the final time they would meet as conference foes.

Following the final buzzer, for Herrion, the magnitude of the moment went far beyond the game, the rivalry, or the season: It was far more than a tough, old-school head coach taking another one on the chin in a year full of lumps, or the New Hampshire program once again being pummeled by a team that has used it as a perennial punching bag.

For Herrion, it was a trip to his former home and a place that will forever hold special significance in his heart. It was at Boston University where Herrion, a native of Oxford, Massachusetts and Merrimack College graduate (1981), got his start, being hired as an assistant under then-Terriers head coach Mike Jarvis in 1985.

“I spent five years here as an assistant from 85 to 90, with Mike Jarvis – he was the head coach,” reflected Herrion. “My five years here as an assistant, we never played a game here in the Roof [Case Gymnasium]; we used to play all the home games in the Walter Brown – in the rink.”

“We went to two NCAA Tournaments, we went to an NIT; We played Providence in the NIT here when [Louisville head coach Rick] Pitino was coaching at Providence and [Florida head coach] Billy Donovan was playing,” he explained.

In his first two years as a Terrier, Herrion was immediately thrown into the fire of the BU-Northeastern rivalry, losing back-to-back conference Championships to the Huskies.

“My first two years here at BU in 85-86 and 86-87, we lost in the finals to Northeastern. You don’t even realize what the Northeastern-BU rivalry used to be – it was big time,” he emphasized. “[late NBA great] Reggie Lewis was at Northeastern and they beat us our first two years here in the finals to go to the Tournament.” (more…)

Boston University point guard Maurice Watson Jr., pushed the ball in transition against New Hampshire Sunday afternoon. Watson posted his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, adding six assists and three steals in the Terriers 68-56 win (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Boston, MA) – Following Boston University’s 68-56 win over visiting New Hampshire, BU freshman point guard Maurice Watson Jr. – listed at 5’10” on the Terriers’ official roster – was asked just how tall he would like to credit himself with being.

“Five-ten,” said Watson with a mischievous smile, “Five-ten and a half in my sneakers.”

Dwarfed by a surrounding scrum of 5’9” writers, it was immediately apparent that the Lansdowne, Pennsylvania native was taking some serious liberties in assessing his stature.

But Watson and equally diminutive back-court mate D.J. Irving played like seven-footers on Sunday, as the dynamic-duo dominated the game and destroyed the visiting Wildcats on the glass, 43-28. The pint-sized playmakers powered the Terriers, combining for 23 points, 19 rebounds, 12 assists and five steals.

“Those two kids can play – they can play basketball, doesn’t matter if they’re five-whatever or six-four, those two kids can play,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion of the tiny tandem.

A week after notching a career-high 13 assists, Watson posted his first career double-double, pulling down a game and career-high 10 rebounds to go with 13 points. The America East leader in assists at 5.2 per game, Watson dropped six dimes and swiped three steals.

Officially listed at 6’ but checking in much closer to 5’9”, Irving added nine rebounds and ten points, to go with six steals and two steals. After spending his first two years on Comm. Ave., as the Terriers starting point guard, the junior from Chester, Pennsylvania, moved off the ball this year to make room for Watson, but still ranks fifth in the America East in assists.

“Either one of those guys can initiate offense,” said Boston University head coach Joe Jones.

Junior forward Dom Morris continued his stellar junior season, scoring 13 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and a perfect 3-of-3 from the line, to go with eight rebounds and three steals. Red-shirt sophomore forward Malik Thomas added 10 points and freshman sharp-shooter John Papale added nine points, with the duo combining to connect on four of the Terriers seven made three’s.

The Terriers shot 45.5 percent from the floor (25-of-55), 43.8 percent from behind the arc (7-of-16) and 78.6 percent from the line (11-of-16). BU jumped all over New Hampshire in the opening stanza, leading 34-17 at the half and pushed their lead to 20 early in the second, before coasting to the win.

“I thought we played a great half of basketball – I was very pleased with our effort for the first 20 minutes,” said Jones. “In the second half, just like you knew they would, they played with great heart in the second half. For the majority of the second half I thought they outplayed us.”

The Wildcats continued their season-long trend of being unable to put the ball in the bucket, shooting a dismal 37.5 percent from the floor (21-of-56), while bombing their way to a horrifying 4-of-22 (18.2 percent) from downtown.

“In the first half we were just three happy again,” said Herrion with a snap of his fingers, “when we do that, we’re not good.” (more…)

Hartford forward Nate Sikma captures the first-half performances of both teams in Thursday night’s Debacle in Durham in microcosm (photo by Sam Perkins).

(Durham, New Hampshire) – Temperatures in Durham dipped into the single digits Thursday night with bone-chilling blasts of arctic air bombing down Main Street.

They had nothing on the frigid shooting and ice-cold offense inside Lundholm Gymnasium.

The New Hampshire Wildcats and the University of Hartford Hawks engaged in a reverse-game of HORSE Thursday night; any shot you can miss, I can miss… better. The Hawks eventually emerged as the lesser of two evils in the battle of horrifically bad offenses, pulling away for a 51-40 win.

“In the first half it was not a picturesque game,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion.

In the opening 20 minutes of basketball, neither team could crack 20 points – or hit water if they fell out of a canoe – and the two teams went into the halftime locker rooms deadlocked at 19. Hartford shot just 32 percent from the floor (8-of-25) and 18.2 percent from behind the line (2-of-11) in the first half – and they had the hot hand. New Hampshire shot 31.6 percent from the floor (6-of-19) and 0-for-4 from behind the arc. Each team played stifling defense… when they had the ball in their own hands.

It was a barn-burner alright: If the action was any livelier, a funeral may have broken out on the court.

The difference in the game was that Hartford had a go-to scorer in forward Mark Nwakamma, and New Hampshire didn’t have an answer.

“We have a guy, sitting to my left – Mark Nwakamma – who can take over a lot of games, and we were fortunate to have him on our team tonight and that’s just the bottom line,” said Hartford head coach John Gallagher.

“They went to the kid Nwakamma and we had no answers. He’s really good – he’s really, really good,” said Herrion. “He’s a First Team All-Conference guy. He’s a premier player,” raved Herrion.

The league’s leading scorer in conference games at just over 17 points per contest, Nwakamma was largely held in check in the first half, but broke through the ice in the second, scoring 16 of his game-high 23 points after the intermission, almost single-handedly carrying Hartford to victory. The 6’6” sophomore hit 11-of-20 shots from the floor while showcasing a complete offensive arsenal, scoring on the blocks on an array of low-post moves; off the bounce blowing by overmatched defenders; and in the mid-range game, knocking down jumpers. Nwakamma added eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.

“He can score in, out, up, down. He’s a prolific scorer,” said Gallagher.

“I’ve been in this league, a long time – he’s a really good player,” said Herrion. “He can post you, he’s very quick, he can face [up] 15, 17 feet.”

Hartford shot 41.7 percent from the floor (20-of-48) and 23.5 percent (4-of-17) from behind the arc. Outside of Nwakamma, the rest of the Hawks roster combined to shoot just 32.1 percent (9-of-28) from the floor. New Hampshire managed just 34.9 percent shooting (15-of-43) while missing all 10 of its three-point attempts – the first time in more than 20 years that New Hampshire had failed to hit at least one three in a game.

“We’re obviously not in a good spot, at all,” said Herrion. “Our confidence is shot, there’s no question about it. I think it affects both ends of the floor.” (more…)

Albany’s Jacob Iati passes out of a double team by New Hampshire’s Chris Matagrano (33) and Chandler Rhoads (3) in the Great Dane’s 68-62 win (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Durham, NH) – On a moonless night in snow-covered Durham, the New Hampshire Wildcats and Albany Great Danes took to the deadwood floorboards of Lundholm Gymnasium on Wednesday, showcasing their trademarked brands of basketball before the empty seats of the ancient gymnasium.

The Great Danes’ guards got into the lane off the bounce and to the free-throw line en masse, while a roster full of grunt-work grinders and supporting-cast players knew their roles and dominated the dirty work in the trenches.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, shot themselves out of the game in the first half, shot themselves back into it in the second, and shot themselves in the foot in the game’s deciding moments, falling 68-62 at home to their America East Conference rival.

“Anybody that’s watched us all year, we just find ways to win games: no style points – we’re just a resilient group that plays well together,” said Albany head coach Will Brown. “They want to win so badly that it’s straight roll up the sleeves, put on the lunch pail and just find a way [to win].”

“I’m proud that we didn’t quit,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion. “Disappointed – and this has been a real problem with our team this year – with lack of discipline: following scouting reports and game plans with some people has been really inconsistent.”

Albany won the game by relentlessly attacking the hoop and winning the battle in the trenches. The Great Danes out-scored the Wildcats 32-22 in points in the paint and out-rebounded New Hampshire 35-28. Albany turned 12 offensive rebounds into 19 second chance points, while New Hampshire managed just six second chance points. The Great Danes front court quartet of forwards Sam Rowley, Blake Metcalf, Luke Devlin and center John Puk combined for 27 points and 20 rebounds.

“I thought we had a lot of possessions tonight where we defended really well and then missed box-outs,” said Herrion.

The Great Danes also hit 21-of-29 free-throws, while the Wildcats took just 10 shots from the charity stripe on the night, hitting seven.

“Going into the game we told our kids one of our biggest keys defensively was you have to guard these kids without fouling,” said Herrion. “They’re killing people at the free throw line: They’ve outscored their opponents on the year by 116 points from the free throw line.”

Albany senior point guard Mike Black posted his second straight 20-point performance, scoring a game-high 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 shooting from the line, to go along with six rebounds and four assists.

Rowley, a 6’5” man without a true position, posted his third straight double-double after being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The undersized Aussie forward is averaging a double-double in conference play. (more…)

(Durham, NH) – The University of New Hampshire Wildcats may have been a thorn in the side of the Vermont Catamounts during previous seasons, but in Wednesday night’s America East opener, they offered up little resistance against the defending America East champs.

By tip-off Wednesday night, temperatures in Durham dipped to the low-end of single-digits, inside Ludholm Gymnasium, the Wildcats offense and internal fire weren’t burning much warmer. Vermont rolled to a 64-51 road win in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score.

Vermont guard Josh Elbaum handles the ball during the Catamounts 64-51 road win over New Hampshire on opening night of America East conference play (Photo by Sam Perkins).

“We executed our defensive game-plan as well as we have all year, as far as doing it for 40 minutes and doing all the little things that we expect of the guys,” said Vermont head coach John Becker.

“They deserved to win, they outplayed us, and it started from the beginning,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion. “First home conference game, against the defending league champions, I thought we’d put up a much better fight: we kind of went away quietly in the second half.”

Vermont used timely shooting, effort and intensity on the glass and defensive end, and a patient and diverse offense to handle the lethargic Wildcats. Nine different players scored for the Catamounts.

“Hopefully we can continue to get production from nine guys so that we can use a nine-man rotation,” said Becker.

Do-everything forward Brian Voelkel keyed Vermont, ripping down 13 rebounds to go with six assists and five points.

“Brian set the tone for us all night – being vocal and his energy on both ends of the court,” said Becker. “He is our leader, and when he does that, guys follow.”

With Forwards Luke Apfeld and Clancy Rugg struggling through ineffective nights, a trio of unusual suspects packed Vermont’s scoring punch in freshman forward Ethan O’Day, first-year transfer Candon Rusin and reserve center Ben Crenca.

O’Day, who had struggled for nearly a month after a hot start to the season, paced Catamounts out of the gate, scoring eight of his 11 points in the early going.

“I thought Ethan O’Day was just all over the offensive glass,” said Becker. (more…)

New Hampshire guard Chandler Rhoads is met at the rim by Boston College forward Patrick Heckmann with 30 seconds remaining in regulation and the game tied 52-52. Rhoads got a point-blank look, with Heckmann rotating over late, but could not convert and the Wildcats fell in overtime, 61-59, at Conte Forum (Photo by Sam Perkins).

(Chestnut Hill, MA) — On a cold winter’s eve on the first of December in 1986, beneath dirty-yellow light which drifted down over creaking wooden-bleachers in a mostly empty Lundholm Gymnasium, the University of New Hampshire Wildcats stepped onto the deadwood floorboards over their home court and knocked off the Boston College Eagles.

It has been 26 years since that frigid night in Durham. 11 times since then, the Wildcats and Eagles have taken the hardwood opposite each other. And 11 times the Wildcats have gone home empty-handed. Many times during that stretch New Hampshire was within one Austin Ganly tomahawk-slam, one Tyrece Gibbs step-back three, one Dane DiLiegro floor-burn dive, and one Alvin Abreu heart-and-hustle play, of an upset win.

Late Sunday afternoon, New Hampshire stood 58 seconds away from finally ripping victory away from Boston College. Three times, the Wildcats were within one play of knocking off the Eagles on their home floor at Conte Forum.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and I’m long past moral victories,” said New Hampshire head coach Bill Herrion, standing outside the team bus following the Wildcats 61-59 overtime loss – a soft rain turning to snow beneath a rapidly-darkening grey sky; the darkened hulk of Alumni Stadium serving as a back drop for the impromptu interview.

“I thought we had a very good chance of winning if we played our game and executed,” said Herrion, “We had chances; we just didn’t get it done.” (more…)

The America East followed up a nice start to the 2012-2013 campaign with a dud. Hartford lost valiantly, a Maine team that is supposed to have finally distanced itself from the collapses of seasons past was embarrassed by a bad Dartmouth squad.

Most embarrassing of all, New Hampshire murdered a Division III squad. If the league is banning members from post-season play (which is well within the league’s rights and we have no bones with) and drop their RPI requirements for opponents (ditto), we’d also like to see it put the kibosh on non-DI games, like yesterday.

Dartmouth 67, Maine 54
Ouch. If this is supposed to be the Black Bears’ year (so was last year, and the year before that, and the year before that), this certainly was not the way to start it.

Maine was soundly thumped by a bottom of the barrel Ivy League team fielding the second most inexperienced roster in all of college basketball. The Black Bears shot just 36% from the floor, 15% from three, turned the ball over 17 times to just seven assists, and generally made a team that won a whopping total of five games last season look like world beaters.

The loss was hardly an encouraging sign for a Black Bears that has ended each of the past three seasons in Hindenburg-esque fashion.

OBW Preseason First Team All-Conference pick Alasdair Fraser took just four shots, finishing with two points and eight rebounds, turned the ball over five times and fouled out in 36 minutes of action. His limited touches were quite concerning. Last season Fraser emerged as the Black Bears best, most reliable (and at times unstoppable) offensive weapon, yet found himself lost in the offense down the stretch.

Sophomore Justin Edwards, who looked like a world beater during the first half of last season, scored 12 points, but on 4-of-12 shooting to go along with four turnovers. In his debut at point guard, Xavier Pollard – a natural all-energy combo guard – made a big impact on the defensive end with four steals, but sputtered running the offense, scoring 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting

Senior forward Mike Allison was the lone bright spot for the Black Bears, scoring 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds. (more…)

When looking ahead and projecting the upcoming season, we always look at the prospective stars of each team. It’s only natural – they are the go-to-guys, the players who take center stage when the lights are the brightest, the ones who can put the team on their backs and carry them when the chips are down.

Yet in the good-enough-on-guts America East, examples of a lone star player single-handedly carrying a team to a championship without big contributions from role players and supporting cast are almost non-existent.

Guys like Jose Juan Barea and Kenny Adeleke, tremendous individual talents who went it alone without cohesive team chemistry and a good supporting cast, never won a thing.

For all of their heroics, Taylor Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine had the likes of super role players Grant Anderson, David Hehn and the immortal Germain Mopa-Njila doing the little things. Jamar Wilson had Levi Levine, Lucious Jordan, and Brent Wilson to do the dirty work. Chaz Carr and Billy Collins had Stijn Dhondt setting bone crushing screens and Ryan Butt battling it out in the paint. Marqus Blakely could pass out of the double team to a perfectly positioned Evan Fjeld for easy buckets, or rely on Joey Accaoui to bury the three.

The America East has always been a league where hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. With fewer true stars and less high-level talent returning to the league than any other time prior in conference history, now more than ever, the conference title may be decided by the supporting cast.

Here is a look at our X-Men: the “X-Factors” – unknown or unproven players flying under the radar who could play a big role in the success or failure of each of the nine America East squads. (more…)

John Holland is playing in the Spanish ACB League, widely regarded as the top domestic league in the world outside of the NBA.

The America East season may not begin until Albany tips off against Duquesne on Friday, November 9th at 6:30 pm, but two days earlier, an America East rivalry will be renewed. Only this time, instead of the dirty orange light of the glorified high school gymnasiums of the AE, it will be played under the bright lights of the world stage.

Nearly five years ago, on cold Boston night in January of 2008, two unheralded freshmen took the floor in an empty Case Gymnasium. Half a decade, over 3,600 miles, and an ocean away from their first encounter, former University of New Hampshire Wildcat Dane DiLiegro and former Boston University Terrier John Holland will face off again Wednesday night; the tenth time in their careers that they have gone head-to-head, but the first time as professionals.

Holland and DiLiegro will be playing in the Eurocup, a transnational professional basketball league — second only to the prestigious EuroLeague — comprised of top teams from the top leagues in Europe. DiLiegro will be taking the floor for Banco Di Sardigna Sassari of the Italian SerieA League, the top league in Italy and one of the top domestic leagues in the world outside of the NBA. Holland will be suiting up for Cajasol Banca Civica Sevilla of the Spanish ACB League, the top league in Spain and arguably the top domestic league in the world after the NBA.

“Its unbelievable being able to play against him again,” said DiLiegro excitedly while relaxing in Sassari, a city that sits on the northwest coast of the island of Sardigna, Italy. “I’m hoping that maybe I can get the opportunity to make him miss a free throw by making him laugh or something.”

“It’s going to be really fun to compete against him again.” said Holland, enjoying some down time in Sevilla, a city that sits on the Guadalquivir River in Spain. “I always admire his energy.” (more…)

Today was Media Day in the America East. Coaches and athletic personnel from every team converged on SEFCU Arena in Albany for the league luncheon, meet-and-greet, and lots and lots of press conferences to kick off the 2012-2013 season.

It was on Albany’s home court – the site of the 2013 America East Tournament – that the official Preseason Coaches’ Poll was unveiled, revealing the predicted standings of the nine America East schools as voted on by the league coaches, as well as the preseason All-Conference selections.

There is always some gamesmanship that goes into the picks (acknowledging upperclassmen, nods of respect coaches – both accomplished and on the hot seat – and even some general ribbing), so they should be taken with a grain of salt (just take a look at the number of years in a row that BU was tabbed first).

Without revealing OBW’s own preseason predictions, which will be published in the near future, here is Sam Perkins’ breakdown of the nine America East teams in ascending order of how the coaches’ selected them. (more…)